Dear Readers,

One of my favorite things about springtime is the ritual of shedding all the layers that we’ve accumulated during the winter. The scarves and coats come off, we snuggle less deeply under the blanket while curled up with a book, and instead of boots paired with thick socks we grab our comfy sandals instead. As our sweaters return to their closets, we open ourselves up to the sunshine and warmer weather.

During the spring season, I often find myself drawn to books with characters who also have to peel back a lot of layers. Maybe they are afraid certain secrets will come to light, or they must learn to face a past trauma head-on. Perhaps they even have a tricky mystery to solve! In this collection of books, you’ll find two WWI veterans learning to heal amid a family feud, a married couple hunting war criminals in post-WWII Berlin, a woman helping to solve a small-town cold case while putting herself in the crosshairs, two people dancing around their mutual attraction for each other in the ballrooms of Regency-era England, and a star Manhattan chef who must uncover the truth of his family’s past.

Be sure to head on over to DownHomeReads.com too for more bookish fun, and look for my next round of recommendations in the magazine’s summer issue! More Down Home Reads are on the way, so don’t go far, y’all!

Happy Reading,

Jodi Thomas